The 4 Week Vegan

4 Week Vegan Wrap-Up

2011-10-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

So we have entered week 6 of the 4 week vegan. It's the new math. Hubby gave me the thumbs up to continue after the 4 weeks was over. Well, actually what happened was that I didn't realize the 4 weeks was over and planned out the menu for the following week which ended up being week 5. Hubby said that he would eat this way until he gagged - a rip roarin' endorsement if I ever heard one. I don't need much encouragement, obviously.

Anyways, I didn't feel it was all that difficult of a transition to go from meat-eater to vegan. I missed dairy products way more than meat. CHEESE - oh how I love you. And we did cheat a couple of times - pizza one day, which I paid for the next day with tummy trouble, and ice cream another night. While being on a low-fat, vegan diet appears from everything I have read to be one of the healthiest ways of eating that doesn't mean from time to time we won't veer a little off the path and indulge. That may change the longer we do it, but for now there is no guilt.

I found the dishes that tried to mimic meat dishes didn't work as well as dishes that were obviously there own thing. I mean by this that vegan meatloaf was not a winner, nor was tofu steak. However, salads and soups were usually well received. Hummus was a wonderful treat. Roasted vegetables with roasted tofu over whole wheat pasta was yummy too. Some meals were labor intensive, like vegetarian lasagna, while others were easy peasy, such as brown rice with canned black bean soup over top (sometimes you just need something easy). So all in all, it wasn't any more difficult to cook this way. I did have to search for recipes as my vegan repertoire was limited, but I enjoy that type of research.

While I had only committed to 4 weeks, I am glad to be on week 6. If you are thinking about trying the vegan way of eating whether out of health concerns or just plain ole curiosity, I say give it a go!

So, what else can I try for 4 weeks? Do you have a suggestion for a 4 week adventure for this 4 Week Vegan?

Weekly Menu and More...

2011-10-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have my weekly menu, a recipe, and a product recommendation for you. So let's get going.

Weekly Menu:

Saturday: Spicy potatoes and a big salad
Sunday: Pasta with roasted veggies & tofu
Monday: Peanutty tempeh & veggies over brown rice
Tuesday: Lentil and Swiss Chard soup
Wednesday: Leftovers from Tuesday
Thursday: Escarole and white beans over brown rice

This week's menu had to be on the easy side as we have lots going on in the evenings this week. I'm hoping I can get it all done.

Tonight, we had the roasted veggies & tofu over pasta and it was really good. I have to admit I wasn't really excited about this one, but I am glad I made it. Here is the recipe:

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Tofu

1 1/2 cups cubed firm tofu (I just used one package, may have been more than 1 1/2 cups)
1 pound Japanese eggplants, cubed (I found Chinese eggplant, so used that)
1 small fennel bulb, sliced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into one-inch pieces
1 sweet onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, peeled (will use more next time)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
whole-wheat penne pasta

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.) Combine all ingredients, except pasta, in a large roasting pan.
3.) Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.
4.) In the meantime, make the pasta according to the package directions, drain.
5.) Combine the pasta and veggies and serve (I just let people scoop some pasta and then top with veggies)

It was very flavorful. Like one bite you got some fennel - oh wow, that was fennel. Another bite there was a clove of garlic. The tofu texture was very close to the eggplant texture, so it really blended in. Hubby felt it was a little dry, so you could drizzle with balsamic vinegar or a light salad dressing.

Okay, so we are trying to avoid oil and I keep meaning to make my own salad dressing, but for some reason never seem to. So we found a brand we really like with no added oil. The brand is Kozlowski Farms and we have tried three different flavors: honey mustard, red raspberry with poppy seeds, and sesame seed. All have been very good. The raspberry is my favorite. Also the raspberry and honey mustard are considerably lower in sodium than other bottled dressing which is a plus too, like a fourth the sodium and the sesame seed is like half the sodium.

Tomorrow, is the start of week three of this adventure.

-The 4 Week Vegan

Hits and a Miss...

2011-09-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Sorry for such a long time between posts. Lots of vegan stuff happening here and wanted to share the hits and misses with you.

First, who likes couscous? I have a whole bucket you can have. No likey. Didn't feel it added anything to the dish (served a Middle-Eastern chickpea stew over it) and it wasn't filling like brown rice or even quinoa. Also, the texture wasn't all that great. So, no couscous here, well until I forget I don't like it and am enticed by some recipe or another.

The most excellent dinner I have served since beginning this adventure was the Raise-the-Roof Sweet Potato-Vegetable Lasagna from the Engine 2 Diet book. Wow, it was substantial and everyone (well except my youngest son) enjoyed it. My dad and step-mom were over for dinner and they both liked it too. Everyone said I could serve it again - YAY!!! Hubby and one son said they could do without the broccoli in it, but I love broccoli.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 small head garlic, all cloves chopped or pressed
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 can corn, rinsed and drained (I didn't have any)
1 package Silken Lite tofu
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
2 jars pasta sauce
2 boxes whole grain lasagna noodles (I only ended up using one-hmmm)
16 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 sweet potatoes, COOKED and mashed
6 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup raw cashews, ground

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute the onion and garlic on high heat for 3 minutes in a wok or non-stick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until the onions are limp and the mushrooms give up their liquid. Remove them to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the mushroom liquid in the pan. Saute the broccoli and carrots for 5 minutes and add to the mushroom bowl. Saute the peppers and corn until just beginning to soften. Add them to the vegetable bowl. Drain the tofu by wrapping in paper towels. Break it up directly into the vegetable bowl. Add spices to the vegetable bowl and combine.

To Assemble:
Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with sauce (this way they cook while you bake). Spread the vegetable mixture over the sauced noodles. Cover with a layer of noodles and another dressing of sauce. Add the spinach to the second layer of sauced noodles. Cover the spinach with the mashed sweet potatoes. Add another layer of sauce, the final layer of noodles, and a last topping of sauce. Cover the lasagna with the thinly sliced tomatoes.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle with cashews, and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Another great dinner was homemade hummus with lots of veggies all stuffed into pita pockets. I shredded carrots and zucchini. I chopped up tomatoes, radishes, and mushrooms. I thinly sliced a red onion. I also served baby spinach. Use whatever you have around.

Low-fat Hummus:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cumin (I used more)
1 small garlic clove, minced (I used more)
Pinch cayenne pepper (mine was a BIG pinch)
2 Tablespoons minced parsley (I didn’t have any)
1 Tablespoon minced red onion

Drain chickpeas, reserving the juice. Do not rinse. Transfer peas to a blender or food processor and blend with ½ cup reserved juice (I used less and then just gauged it as I went along – didn’t want it runny), lemon juice, cumin, garlic, and cayenne. Add parsley and red onion and pulse briefly just to mix.

So tasty and fun for the kids to assemble.

Lastly, tonight we went to a Vegan Vietnamese restaurant. WOW - soooo good. This was way out of the norm for me. Hubby and oldest son came. We all really enjoyed it and want to go back soon. So, try something new, friends.

-The 4 Week Vegan

Three-Bean Chili

2011-09-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, the vegan chuck wagon was in full swing tonight. We had chili over brown rice. There was a surprise ingredient – APPLE. I thought it sounded weird, but you know, it worked. Not sure why, but it really did. I left out the tofu as I felt there was plenty of protein from the beans and I really didn’t think it would add anything – hubby is not in love with tofu to begin with. This made a TON. It was filling over brown rice. Next time, I will chop up some kale and throw it in there –gotta get those greens. I will most definitely make this again.

If you ever try any of the recipes featured here, I would love to hear what you thought.

Three-Bean Chili

1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 bay leaves
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (didn’t have any)
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
2-28 oz cans plum tomatoes, with juice, chopped
1-6oz can of tomato paste (oops, I forgot to put that in)
1 pound firm tofu, crumbled (chose not to use)
1 can of corn or frozen equivalent
1 apple, chopped
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons coriander (didn’t have any)
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
½ cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion on medium-high heat in a large sprayed soup pot for 5 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaves, bell peppers, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and jalapeno. Then cook on medium for 5 minutes. Add beans, water, tomatoes, tomato paste, tofu, corn, apple, remaining seasonings, mustard, molasses, and cilantro. Cover and simmer on low heat 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

-The 4 Week Vegan

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner...

2011-09-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so no chickens were hurt in the making of this blog or tonight's dinner, but we did have a winner. Everyone including my son-15 years old and my dad enjoyed my lentil and Swiss chard soup. So here is the recipe, originally a Weight Watchers recipe:

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil (omitted)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups low-sodium beef broth (I used vegetable stock)
1 cup dried lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained
2 cups water
1 cup packed shredded Swiss chard leaves (I used at least twice that much)
1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
fresh cilantro springs to garnish

1.) In a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, lentils, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

2.) Add the Swiss chard, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper; cooking, stirring once, until the chard wilts, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and serve, garnished with cilantro.

Per serving (1/4 soup ): 196 calories, 4 g fat, 14 g fiber

I doubled the recipe for the five of us and there was not a drop left. Next time, I will triple it because I know my hubby would have liked to take leftovers to work for lunch. Sorry, Honey.

-The 4 Week Vegan

Wheat Berries? Did Someone Say Wheat Berries?

2011-09-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well today's dinner was Spicy Wheat Berry-Chickpea Medley. I am sure everyone here knows what a wheat berry is, but just in case you are like me and have never happened upon one before, I will explain what it is. A wheat berry is the entire wheat kernel (except the hull) which is comprised of the bran, germ, and endosperm. A whole grain for sure.

As I was making this meal, which had to simmer for 2 hours to make sure the wheat berries were tender, but still chewy, I kept thinking - "what was I smokin' when I chose this as dinner?" I mean, it really didn't smell all that good and it is way outside of what we would normally eat. The recipe calls this dish a stew, but made as directed it is not a stew - no real broth, although it does say to add broth if needed. I chose not to add broth and instead served the medley over mixed greens and broccoli slaw (I love broccoli slaw). I was really not into this dish when I took my first bite, but it grew on me. And I actually ended up liking it. The wheat berries are chewy. It wasn't spicy enough for me, so when I make it again it will be with more chili powder for sure. I liked how I chose to serve it too. Got my beans and greens that way :)

If you have a wheat berry recipe, I would love you to share it because I have lots of wheat berries left.

This was originally a Weight Watchers recipe which I tweaked just a tiny bit, basically omitted the oil:

1 cup wheat berries
1 tsp. canola oil (I omitted)
2 onions, finely chopped (my onions were big, so I used 1)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic glove, minced (I used several)
3 cups vegetable broth
1-3 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 (16 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1.) in a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the wheat berries, stirring often, until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes.
2.) In a medium non-stick saucepan, heat the oil, saute the onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes longer. Stir in the stock, chili powder, and the wheat berries; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmered covered, until the wheat berries are tender but still slightly chewy, about 2 hours. Add additional stock if needed. Add the chickpeas; cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.

You can serve as I did over mixed greens (I just used a spring mix salad and the broccoli slaw) and top with chopped tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos, or whatever sounds good to you. I actually didn't use any toppings.

For dessert we left the low-fat portion of the diet and had a little fun, still vegan, but you would never know it. We had Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate Bars.

These were so tasty. A good texture and a great replacement for any ice cream bar. YUMMY! They were pricey, but for a treat now and again worth it.

Day 2 of 28 done.

-The 4 Week Vegan

Day One - It's Official

2011-09-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the first of 28 days as a vegan. I did well sticking with the vegan thing, but it was a hard day and well scoops of organic peanut butter are never on any weight loss plan - enough said.

Tonight for dinner I had planned pasta primavera from the Engine 2 Diet book along with a salad and homemade dijon dressing. Well with the day being what it was, it was all I could do to get the pasta primavera on the table, but actually that wasn't so bad because the primavera had leafy greens and veggies in it. Hubby said he would eat it again - that is a glowing review. He even packed some up for lunch at work tomorrow. The youngest (son-14 years old) even ate it!!! I told him to try a little and if he didn't like it he could have noodles with butter and parmesan cheese, remember I am not forcing this 4 weeks on anyone. He is very picky, so I was amazed he liked it. I'll post the recipe below.

One cool thing was that the book suggested finely ground raw cashews in place of the parmesan cheese. Hubby really liked that. It looked like parmesan cheese and gave the plate that finished looked.

Click here for the recipe.

-The 4 Week Vegan

Week One Menu

2011-09-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I always plan a weekly menu on Thursday for Saturday-Friday and shop on Friday. Since I am starting this eating style tomorrow, this posted weekly menu will only be Monday-Friday this week. Normally, it will be seven days long. I'll post the menu each week for dinners only (breakfast will likely be oatmeal and fruit and lunch will often be dinner leftovers or a big salad). I will let you know how we liked each dinner and if it was yummy will post the recipe.

Monday: Pasta Primavera and salad with homemade Dijon dressing
Tuesday: Spicy wheat berry-chickpea medley over greens
Wednesday: Lentil and Swiss Chard soup
Thursday: Three bean chili over brown rice
Friday: Black beans and quinoa with spinach

So tomorrow is the big day - wheeeeeeeee!!!

-The 4 Week Vegan

The Engine 2 Diet

2011-09-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

My latest reading material in regards to this new lifestyle is The Engine 2 Diet. I own 10-15 books that I have collected over the last ten years or so on this subject. I checked this book out from the library, but will probably buy my own copy soon. It has lots of information about why a low-fat vegan diet is so very healthy. It also has recipes and I will be trying many of them over the next 4 weeks.

The author of the book is Rip Esselstyn, a firefighter, thus the Engine 2 part of the title. He is also an athlete and comes from a family chock full of doctors. I found his family tree very interesting. He conveys what could be very dry and boring information in an easy to read way. There are also short testimonies from people that have benefited from this type of eating.

He points out why many diseases can be reduced or prevented altogether with this approach - heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, and the list goes on. He also tackles many myths about eliminating animal products from your diet including the "I won't get enough protein" myth. At least the last third of the book is recipes which all look very doable. I enjoy trying new recipes, but don't like recipes that have ingredients that are not easily found or when the list of ingredients is so long I nod off while reading it.

The basic plan he outlines is one of no animal products (meat, eggs, dairy, etc.), no oils, lots of veggies, legumes, fruits, and whole grains. He encourages the limiting of sugar and sodium as well. In addition to the food aspect of this healthy lifestyle, he gives exercise advice. I actually do many of the exercises he recommends in my almost daily dvd workout (usually The 30 Day Shred).

Happy reading,

-The 4 Week Vegan

Who Is The 4 Week Vegan?

2011-09-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

I am!!! I'm a 44 year old stay-at-home mom. I love to eat all kinds of foods, including meat. So, why am I going vegan for 4 weeks? Well, I have always been drawn to books about healthy eating and many of those expound about the benefits of a vegetarian, vegan, and/or raw lifestyle. I have a hubby and three children:

R-18 year old college student
D-15 year old high schooler, vegetarian
A-14 year old high schooler

Over the years, I have incorporated meatless dinners into our weekly meals and of course encouraged healthier eating habits. Recently, hubby and I watched a show on CNN entitled The Last Heart Attack about research into preventing heart disease. There wasn't anything too new about the lifestyle it recommended, but it opened up discussion with hubby. He agreed to try a low-fat vegan diet for 4 weeks. So, here we are.

We are going vegan for health and not moral/philosophical reasons. So, this won't be a blog about the treatment of animals or protesting anyone. You will find recipes, reviews (good and bad), weekly menus, and probably some whining as I jump into this way of eating. I am not requiring the children follow this diet, but of course will encourage it.

I lead a pretty healthy and active lifestyle. I walk 5 miles every morning, usually do a workout dvd, and cycle 4-5 times a week. This is the first year I am not homeschooling one or more of my children, so I definitely have the time to chop all those veggies.

I hope you enjoy coming along on this adventure with me. Your comments and suggestions will always be appreciated.

-The 4 Week Vegan